178 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTRAL AFRICA 



wealth that will accrue to his own exchequer from 

 the connection. 



It is an honour so much dreaded that he who 

 thinks it likely to be conferred upon himself will often 

 fly from the country for some years, and trust that 

 time will soften his sovereign's resentment or provide 

 another husband for the lady. To be already married 

 is no safeguard to a man. He is obliged to divorce his 

 other wives, and live for ever after with the Maiarami 

 as his sole wife. 



The Princess Royal is an unattractive lady, and 

 outraged us by having no seat brought, nor did she 

 exchange a single word with us. We marked our 

 displeasure by leaving her sitting there upon her mat 

 while we went in to visit her house, the only one with 

 an upper floor in Tchekna. The mud staircase is out- 

 side, and leads to two rooms with a good view on to the 

 market-place, where the Maiarami can observe what 

 goes on without herself being seen. Her sister cannot 

 vie with such splendour, nor indeed is her house 

 situated in the square, but she has a tent in her 

 enclosure that commands the admiration and envy of 

 humbler folk. The Princess Royal enjoys a yet more 

 important privilege, for she rides out in state on horse- 

 back, as we saw her on the occasion of the great 

 procession ; while the younger Princess, the Maiarami 

 Lamina, may only ride upon a man. She is a bright, 

 cheerful girl, very like her mother, the Leli Bondigul, 

 and she at once had a new mat brought for us to squat 

 on. She showed us the jewels with which she was 

 covered, particularly some immense plaques with gems 

 let in, and in return demanded to see my hair, the 

 fame of which had reached her. Both she and the 



